The de facto foreign ministry of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region has accused the Georgian Foreign Ministry of “distorting” the circumstances surrounding the August 2008 war and claimed that Georgia as a state must bear responsibility for the conflict.
In a statement, the de facto ministry criticized the Georgian Foreign Ministry’s statement marking the 18th anniversary of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war, in which Tbilisi called on Russia to end what it described as the illegal occupation of Georgian territories.
“The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following the approaches of NATO countries, continues to mislead its own population and the international community in its assessment of the aggression against South Ossetia,” the statement said.
The de facto authorities described the Georgian Foreign Ministry’s position as “illogical” and accused Tbilisi of “distorting obvious facts.”
The statement also referred to recent remarks by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze concerning former President Mikheil Saakashvili, claiming that Kobakhidze had effectively acknowledged Saakashvili’s responsibility for the outbreak of hostilities.
“In fact, this was known from the very beginning, and South Ossetia has been saying this for the past 18 years,” the statement said.
The de facto ministry argued that responsibility should not be limited to Saakashvili personally, claiming that, as president, he acted on behalf of the Georgian state.
“Therefore, responsibility for the August 2008 war must be borne by the country as the subject of this policy, including representatives of the Saakashvili regime as the implementers of this policy,” the statement said.
The de facto authorities also rejected Georgia’s characterization of Russia’s presence in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region as an occupation, describing Russia instead as a “reliable guarantor of security.”
The statement called on official Tbilisi to adopt what it described as a “more constructive position,” including within the Geneva International Discussions.
Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states following the August 2008 war and maintains military forces in both regions. Georgia and most of the international community regard the two territories as parts of Georgia occupied by Russia.
